Bio

I didn't know exactly what physics was in elementary school except for a cool science term that people used in newspapers and TV shows. My first experience with physics didn't come until 8th grade. My science teacher that year, Dr. Ricks, made the course as interesting and exciting as a middle school science course can be, so I came out of 8th grade excited and vaguely confused. In that same year, our English teacher assigned a research project that gave me an excuse to read my father's old books on semiconductor physics. That, and my great experience with Dr. Ricks, got me fascinated with physics. However, I had the misconception that 99% of high school physics was in the frightening realm of modern relativity, so I didn't think about it for a long time.

When I got to high school, I joined our school's Science Bowl team, which was something I heard about in middle school but never participated in. I rediscovered physics after a year, and got over how scary it had seemed in middle school. I had the opportunity to practice physics with supportive teammates, which really boosted my interest in the subject. Now, I try to get elementary school students interested in physics at an early age, so they don't wait until their high school career to realize how interesting it can be.

The greatest thing I like about physics is how each equation can come together and model the natural world. It's exciting to see individual concepts and equations connect fluidly with other equations, the entire network of concepts coming together to form a close approximation of real life. I hope that camp makes me even more excited to study physics and all of its applications.